Charles schneider



(No Model.)

, O. SCHNEIDER.

LUMINOUS POINT.

No. 585,451. Patented June 29,1897.

NiTnn STATES PATENT FFIC.

CHARLES SCHNEIDER,- OF CINCINNATI, OI-IIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE F.

TUOI-IFARBER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE. I

LUMINOUS POINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 585,451, dated June 29, 1897. A ncaan filed November 21,1396. Serialllo. 613,048. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES SCHNEIDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oin-. cinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Luminous Points for Signs and other Purposes, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to luminous points of light for signs and other purposes; and it consists in the novel features hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the use of illuminated signs it is very necessary that the material used for transmitting the light be as transparent as possible to render the sign visible at a great distance. In ordinary glass signs where the point or piece of glass through which the light is trans mitted is formed from the ordinary molded or pressed glass the fiber of the material is not arranged in any order, and therefore many if not all of them are liable to extend across and obstruct the rays of light. I have found that by using spun or drawn glass in which the fibers and pores of the material are arranged longitudinally and parallel with each other and placed in such a position that the lightrays may pass longitudinally between and through them a very desirable and brilliant effect is produced.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of. a display-sign embodying my invention. in both its preferred and modified forms; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional elevation taken on line 00 0c of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a broken cross-section of the front board of the sign, showing both said preferred and modified formsof my invention applied thereto, all on a larger scale than in the previous views, the arrows indicating the direction and manner of receiving, transmitting, and diffusing the rays of light from the prime illuminator.

A represents the front or facing board of a sign, which is shown as being made hollow in elongated box form, having the back a, top a, bottom o and end or side walls a as best seen in Fig. 2.

B is an illuminator, preferably an incandescent electric lamp, mounted horizontally and centrally Within the short sign shown and getting its current from any suitable source of supply. (Not necessary to show herein.)

O represents each one of the preferred forms of my luminous points, mounted in perforations made in the front sign-board A, such perforations being arranged to suit or follow the lines of the letters, say about one-fourth of an inch apart in three-inch letters, and in proportion as the letters are larger or smaller when it is desired to distinguish one lightpoint from another or render the light-points independently observable, or in case it is desired to have a continuous stream or line of light in each letter, then the points are placed closer to cause the lights to blend.

These points are composed of drawn (preferably solid) rods or stems of transparent, clear, and pellucid flint glass (for its peculiar light-refracting powers) broken off in suit able lengths to suit the thickness of the material or carrier frame, board, or plate in which they are mounted. In the thick front board or facing shown the short rods O are set or fitted snugly in the perforations made therein, as stated above, and preferably embedded in white enamel or a light cement, which latter is spread on the walls of the per forations and forms a surrounding side ground to the rods for an increased luster in the points or fore ends thereof. These short rods or lengths of glass may be of anydiameter, even down to one thirty-second of an inch, and the fore ends or points thereof will each appear as distinct minute pin -head (when of small diameter) incandescent lights, brilliant, luminous, (giving out or emitting bright shining light,) and lustrous. They magnify or appear to grow larger as the distance increases between the observer and the sign. The outer ends of the points should preferably be conveXed and project the depth of such convexity beyond the face of the sign, as seen at c in the several views, to produce the best results by way of extremely brilliant light-points. The outer fore end, however, of each point may be ground to produce a subdued light, but the other or inner end must be clear (as it results when broken off and flat or at right angles to the sides) to face the primary illuminator Cor other source of light and receive the rays or beams therefrom.

In operation the light from the lamp O is carried or transmitted along parallel longitudinal fibers or grains of each drawn-glass rod, each fiber or grain carrying a beam of light, the several beams being collected into a volume of light in the rod and displayed at the fore outer exposed end in the form of a single full light of great brilliancy; or, in other words, the rays or beams of light from the lamp 0 are absorbed by the parallel longitudinal pores or grains of the drawn-glass rod, whose broken-off shiny inner end readily receives said rays and concentrates them for transmission through said parallel longitudinal pores or grains of the glass to the fore end thereof, where they radiate or diffuse and thereby form in each point a primary light of itself or practically a renewed illuminator or source of light.

These luminous points therefore produce extremely bright letters, figures, or designs of various forms for night-signs, and the same signs may be used by day, (when no internal or rear active illuminator is necessary or desired,) the letters thereof, which are painted or otherwise produced thereon around or bordering said points, being somewhat improved by the presence of the latter, and said points appear as little studs or bright jeweled settings therein, and thus also materially aid in presenting them more strongly to view, especially for street-car and other like important signs.

The face of the sign-board A has a ground of any desired color to suit the taste or the purpose thereof. To produce colored points of light, a sheet of glass D of the desired color is placed in the sign between the source of light or lamp B and the inner ends of the glass rods, which is very simple and easily understood without further reference than that such a sheet is shown in Fig. 2. Colored drawn rods of glass will not answer well for the purpose,as the light becomes dulled therein and is not as readily carried or transmitted by'the grain or fiber of the colored glass as it is in the white pellucid or clear transparent glass. Drawn tubes of glass, such as shown in the modified form at O, (in the letter I, Fig. 1, and in Fig. 3,) may be used also, but they are not as brilliant as the solid rods, on account of their open hollow centers.

It will be seen from the above that the grain of the drawn-glass rods must be longitudinal and that the light from lamp 0 maythus fall at any angle on their raw broken-oft inner ends and the rays be transmitted or carried along the parallel longitudinal fibers or pores to the fore ends for diffusion in a luminous In order to make the the inner walls there- 5 point or body of light. sign still more effective,

i of glass having of may be white-coated and thereby materially aid the lamp 0 in its lighting power.

I claim'- 1. A luminous and other purposes, the same being composed of a rod or stem of drawn glass having parallel longitudinal fibers or pores, and suitably mounted or set in a mounting, or in a carrier board or frame, with its raw, broken-off inner end exposed to an incandescent lamp or other primary illuminating medium, and presenting at its outer end the appearance of a renewed, primary illuminator or source of light, substantially as herein set forth.

2. A luminouslight-point composed of a length or strip of glass drawn out in rod form having parallel, longitndinalfibers or pores, and adapted to be exposed at one endto an incandescent lamp or other primary illuminator, and to produce or diffuse at its other end a luminous light, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a sign the combination of a board or facing A having perforations made and arranged therein to suit the lines of the letters or other matter thereof; a drawn rod of glass having parallel longitudinal fibers or pores, and set or mounted in each of said perforations; and an illuminator or other primary source of light 0 mounted in rear of said glassrod-studded board A, substantiallyas herein set forth.

4. In a sign, the combination of a board or facing A having perforations made and arranged therein to suit the lines of the letters or other matter thereof; a drawn rod of glass having parallel longitudinal fibers or pores,

and set orv mounted in each of said perforations; a primary illuminator C mounted to the rear of said board A; and a sheet of coll ored glass D inte PQSed betweensaid illuminator and the rear inner ends of said glass rods; substantially as herein set forth.

5. In an illuminated sign, the combination 1 with a suitably-perforated board or facing, of

a light-point formed of a drawn or spun rod parallel longitudinal fibers or pores suitably seated or mounted in each of said perforations, substantially as set forth.

6. In an illuminated sign, the combination,

; with a perforated support, of a light located at the rear of the same, and a piece. of transparent material in each perforation, the fibers and pores of said material being arranged par:

5 allel with each other and arranged in such re- ;lation to the light that the rays to be transmitted will pass longitudinally through said pieces of material, substantially as set forth.

In testimony of which invention I have I hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES SCHNEIDER.

YVitnesses JOHN E. JONES, L. M. JONES.

point for use in signwork 

